If you are going abroad this summer chances are you’ll be leaving the family dog behind.

Think VERY carefully about who looks after him. I’ve seen so many well-behaved dogs go haywire after a couple of weeks with well-meaning relatives.

A lady came to our training class for months with Garth, her German shepherd; they were making excellent progress. Garth had good manners and never jumped up or pulled on the lead.

In the school holidays she took the kids to Disney leaving Garth with her big brother it was ‘cheaper’ and ‘kinder’ than leaving him in kennels.

During the next class Garth jumped up and knocked her clean off her feet.
“He keeps doing that,” she told me. “I don’t know what’s got into him.
I advised her to ask her brother if looking after Garth had been ‘fun.’

Turns out Big Brother had been playing tug ‘o’ war and wrestling with him. Garth’s unruly behaviour was the direct result of rough play. Six months of training ruined in two weeks.

If you don’t have a knowledgeable person to take care of your dog then find a good boarding kennel. That way you’ll get your dog back exactly as you left him.